Car Rental in Orlando

[Challo]

Spending 12 days in Orlando in June and currently looking at hire cars. Been checking the usual companies from the airport and Hertz are running 33% discount if you book before end of Feb.

I have hired cars in Europe before, but never in the states is there anything i need to be aware off on hidden charges? Or any extra insurance i should take out to ensure im covered?

Also need a bit of help on what car to choose. Hertz options:

Economy - Kia Rio
Compact - Chevy Aveo
Intermdiate - Toyota Corolla
Full Size - Chevy Malibu

There will only be me and my gf and 2 large suitcases, but we intend to go on a few trips around the state and spending hours in a Kia Rio might not be fun, but im not sure how big a US Toyota Corolla actually is. Ideally i would hire a Mustang or something similar but need to keep the costs down.

[RicksAlfas]

We went last year and the cheapest option was a Kia Rio, so we just left it at that. The girl on the counter immediately upgraded us to a Ford Focus and when I asked if she had anything more "American" we got a Dodge Charger for a nominal extra amount. They seem a lot more laid back than European rental desks where the cars are pre-allocated before you get there. Incidentally I don't think we saw one Kia Rio so I'm not sure if that's just a bluff to keep the eco people happy. There might be one "somewhere"...

[Arklight]

I usually go with Alamo, never had any issues.

I dont get the "extra" cover as it really ramps up the price, also they tend to offer you a Tolls package. Depending on how much driving your doing it may not be worth it as you can get to most places without using the toll roads, even if you do its only a few dollars.

What i have noticed also the last few times is i've ordered an econamy/compact but they rareley have them in so the chap just points you too the intermediete aisle

[HOGEPH]

I have used usrentacar.co.uk 10 times, reasonably priced, and you pay everything up front, so no surprises.

Just book a small car, you'll probably end up with an upgrade if they've run out of compacts.

[Challo]

Thank you for the feedback. I think i will hire the cheapest option then hope we get a free upgrade when we arrive, or see if I can upgrade for a small fee.

Also do you need both parts of your licence? Paper and card?

[RicksAlfas]

I only have paper.
But taking both shouldn't tip you over your luggage allowance.

[Challo]

RicksAlfas said:

I only have paper.
But taking both shouldn't tip you over your luggage allowance.

Best get onto the DVLA and get another printed as i lost the paper part. OOPS.

[surveyor]

Maybe they have changed - but every Malibu I have driven has been st. And the manufacturers website calls it a 'midsize'. Hertz have been pissing about with the groups again....

[matt3001]

Challo said:

Spending 12 days in Orlando in June and currently looking at hire cars. Been checking the usual companies from the airport and Hertz are running 33% discount if you book before end of Feb.

I have hired cars in Europe before, but never in the states is there anything i need to be aware off on hidden charges? Or any extra insurance i should take out to ensure im covered?

Also need a bit of help on what car to choose. Hertz options:

Economy - Kia Rio
Compact - Chevy Aveo
Intermdiate - Toyota Corolla
Full Size - Chevy Malibu

There will only be me and my gf and 2 large suitcases, but we intend to go on a few trips around the state and spending hours in a Kia Rio might not be fun, but im not sure how big a US Toyota Corolla actually is. Ideally i would hire a Mustang or something similar but need to keep the costs down.

I wouldn't bother with the extra insurance, every rental firm seems pretty chilled in the US and they just accept a few bumps and scrapes (imo).

[HOGEPH]

Challo said:

Thank you for the feedback. I think i will hire the cheapest option then hope we get a free upgrade when we arrive, or see if I can upgrade for a small fee.

I've never ended up with a car smaller than my Golf, and once got a Ford Escape SUV as there were no cars in the class I'd paid for. Don't pay for an upgrade, see what you end up with first!

[Geoff Stilwell]

Try these guys...www.usrentacar.com they are based in the UK and have really good deals especially for Orlando. 1 tip..make sure you gat a rental car where its based on the airport. The ones that are offsite can add loads to your journey.

[Matt..]

Geoff Stilwell said:

Try these guys...www.usrentacar.com they are based in the UK and have really good deals especially for Orlando. 1 tip..make sure you gat a rental car where its based on the airport. The ones that are offsite can add loads to your journey.

There are two sides to that. Airport locations mean added taxes and generally increased costs.

If you want to know what cars are in the groups, check this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hertz/1357294-us-fl...

[Matt Harper]

matt3001 said:

I wouldn't bother with the extra insurance, every rental firm seems pretty chilled in the US and they just accept a few bumps and scrapes (imo).

I assume that this is intended to be a joke. The 'extra' insurance is not mandatory and arguably just a strategy to extract more money - but when covered for minimums - you damaging the rental car and or someone else's car (rather than property or person) - you are potentially on the hook for personal injury and damage to real property that can be pretty scary in this country.

I rent cars all the time here because I travel a lot for work. You need to inspect the car thouroughly before driving it off the lot and highlight any damage to bodywork, wheels, tires, interior trim and glass. When you bring the car back, they will definitely bill you for any damage, however slight, not recorded when you take the car.

[Matt Harper]

Geoff Stilwell said:

Try these guys...www.usrentacar.com they are based in the UK and have really good deals especially for Orlando. 1 tip..make sure you gat a rental car where its based on the airport. The ones that are offsite can add loads to your journey.

At Orlando International the off-airport rental companies are located on South Semoran Blvd, or Frontage Road, less than half a mile north of the airport, accessed by courtesy bus every 5 mins or so. They are actually cheaper (no airport tax) than those located on the airport.

[matt3001]

Matt Harper said:

matt3001 said:

I wouldn't bother with the extra insurance, every rental firm seems pretty chilled in the US and they just accept a few bumps and scrapes (imo).

I assume that this is intended to be a joke. The 'extra' insurance is not mandatory and arguably just a strategy to extract more money - but when covered for minimums - you damaging the rental car and or someone else's car (rather than property or person) - you are potentially on the hook for personal injury and damage to real property that can be pretty scary in this country.

I rent cars all the time here because I travel a lot for work. You need to inspect the car thouroughly before driving it off the lot and highlight any damage to bodywork, wheels, tires, interior trim and glass. When you bring the car back, they will definitely bill you for any damage, however slight, not recorded when you take the car.

I agree with what you say, but in my experience in the US compared to Europe they have a more relaxed attitude to rentals. Obviously you need to take pictures (and be noticeable doing so) before taking the car away, but I returned a Hertz one back with a slight scuff on the wheel and they weren't overly bothered and didnt charge me. In the UK they would have been all over me like a rash had I done that.

[mattman]

Geoff Stilwell said:

Try these guys...www.usrentacar.com they are based in the UK and have really good deals especially for Orlando. 1 tip..make sure you gat a rental car where its based on the airport. The ones that are offsite can add loads to your journey.

^^^^^ This
We're going in march and got a SUV supplied by Avis from these guys for £268 all in for 2 weeks - cheaper than going direct and cheapest we've found on previous trips - never had a problem

[JDFR]

Try Alamo.co.uk/brits

If you have more than one driver, this is very good value.

[davepoth]

Challo said:

Thank you for the feedback. I think i will hire the cheapest option then hope we get a free upgrade when we arrive, or see if I can upgrade for a small fee.

Also do you need both parts of your licence? Paper and card?

In New Jersey, card only was acceptable. Which was lucky because my paper bit has slightly too much writing on it for comfort...

Really don't hire the cheapest one, it will be an absolute stter. Rent off-airport, and pay for something acceptable up front. If you get an upgrade then that's fine, if not then you aren't going to be driving around in an awful car for your holiday.

[mike80]

Challo said:

Also do you need both parts of your licence? Paper and card?

They only wanted to see the card in Orlando last week when we were there.

[tedmus]

If you're gonna be driving a fair bit then it might be worth paying for the fuel up front, it's usually at a better price per gallon than at the station outside the airport, at Orlando Int. anyway.